End of Days, Armageddon, Ragnarok, and the Apocalypse. All are synonyms for something humans have predicted since the beginning of time and they can all be merged into one general study, eschatology, literally “The study of the end.” Throughout the years many people have come up with various dates and even ways they believe the world will end, the most famous of which (at the moment) is the 2012 prophecy.

One of the formost reasons for the hype surrounding December 21, 2012 is the Mayan calendar, which consists of thirteen Baktun, or cycles. Funnily enough, the end of the thirteenth and final Baktun just so happens to be December 21, 2012. Add onto this the phenomenem that at roughly the same time all of the planets, the sun, and the super massive black hole in the center of our galaxy will all be perfectly aligned upon the “Galactic Equator”, and you have the making of an instant doomsday prophecy. What makes this theory even more amazing is that with the technology available to them the Mayans should never have been able to know about the forthcoming planetary alignment. This however wasn’t the only part to the Mayan calendar.

The Mayans also believed a planet known as Nibiru (now known as Planet X) would enter the solar system, pass by the earth, disrupt its harmony and cause great change. While the Mayans are credited with discovering Nibiru and creating the Mayan Calendar, Nibiru actually showed up a few hundred years before them, popping up in the Sumerian creationism myth. Sumerians believed a race called the Anunnaki lived on Nibiru and had genetically created humans by splicing their DNA the last time they passed near the earth with that of a lesser lifeform. The Sumerians had also predicted the return of Nibiru at a later date, making this small coincidence a huge point of interest for modern doomsday theorists.

Believers in the end of the world theory point to the seemingly impossible idea that two cultures, living hundreds of years apart and in different parts of the world, could predict the same sort of ending. Furthermore, many doomsayers also point to evidence suggesting Nibiru could actually exist. With the discovery of the Oort cloud, and its eccentric and unpredictable orbit around the sun, many state that the odd elliptical orbit that Nibiru would have to be on is possible. Contradicting this are those who believe that with our current scientific knowledge, we would have detected anything large enough to directly affect our gravity and cause havoc. These people also believe the super massive black hole at the center of our galaxy is too far away to cause damage when the earth and planets align on December 21of this next year.

While there are many scientific and cultural theories pointing to the end of the world, the religious community is not equally convinced. Pastor Richard Mueller, of the Alliance Immanuel Lutheran Church, stated, “While all signs point to the end of the world because of the famine and wars, Mark 13 states that ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ So God will not choose the twenty-first because we have said that will be the day.”

Skepticism is shared amongst others in Alliance. Mr. Swanson, a history teacher at AHS stated, “ I don’t personally believe that the world will end but [even] if it [will] it would be silly to be consumed by the thought that it [might].” These sentiments are also shared by Saige Benton, a junior at AHS, who said, “I don’t believe in 2012 because of what God says, but anything’s possible.”

After all of the failed prophecies and conflicting information, skepticism over the end of the world coming December 21, 2012 seems to run high. However, one thing is certain, December 21, 2012 will be a special night, if only for the once in 25,000 year planetary alignment.

Will the world end that day? That’s for you to decide.

Do you believe in the 2012 prophecy?

• Yeah! Get ready for the Apocalypse!
• No! I live to see another birthday!

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